8050/JD chopper

I purchases a 3970 JD chopper of which I am going to chop hay with soon.  I am a little confused on the open center vrs closed center hydralics.  The hydralic lever has to be in the lift possition at all times to run all of the chopper controls.  The person i bought it from ran it with a 4850 JD and a 4440 JD.  I have it hooked up to my 8050 at this time.  Do I have to change anything on this chopper to run it.  Also, how do I keep the hydralic lever activated without going to float.  Do I need a spacer and a tie strap to keep the lever forward?  At idle the tractor labors a little when the lever is activated.  I don't want to screw something up.   What kind of system does the 8050 have and what kind of system does the JD tractors have?  Any help appreciated.

Do NOT use a tarp strapor wire  to hold the lever engaged. Remove the rubber dust plug on the rear of the valve you want to use and adjust/tighten the "kick out" screw so it won't release on its own. This is in your operators manual. Failure to do this promotes excessive heating of the hydraulic oil.

Have been thinking about your problem all day, believe it or not, and it seems to me that if I remember right when I sold machinery if you had a non JD tractor hooked to the wall of steel chopper you had to buy a plug or some insert that went into the hyd system of the chopper, it wasnt very expensive. They do both have a closed center system,but AC was load a pressure sensitive,and I believe that plug stopped it from demanding huge amount of oil that just by passed and went back to tank, ask you local JD dealer about it, but I am pretty sure its still available, or buy a New Holland !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sorry had to ad that.

You might have to adjust the flow control under the seat .I just remembered my 8050 when we first put the chopper on would raise the head too fast and it would bang against the stop,so you should have the flow control set on turtle instead of rabbit.